REPORT  of  a VISIT 
to  MESOPOTAMIA 
the  PERSIAN  GULF 
and  INDIA 


SUMMER  OF  IQ 2 4 

April  1st  — August  7th 

By 

SAMUEL  M.  2WEMER 

On  behalf  of 

The  American  Christian  Literature 
Society  for  Moslems 

COMMITTEE  ON  FIELD  WORK 

Rev.  William  I.  Chamberlain.  Ph.  d. 
Rev.  William  B.  Anderson.  D.D. 
Delevan  L.  Pierson 
Rev.  Stanley  White.  D.D. 

Fennell  P.  Turner,  secretary 

Office  address:  29  Madison  avenue 


Printed  for  Private  Circulation 


FOREWORD 


In  response  to  an  invitation  from  the  National  Christian  Council 
of  India  and  on  behalf  of  the  American  Christian  Literature  Society 
for  Moslems  it  was  our  privilege  to  visit  India  from  May  20th  until 
August  7th,  1924. 

Following  the  series  of  conferences  held  under  the  auspices  of  the 
International  Missionary  Council  in  North  Africa  and  the  Near 
East  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  John  R.  Mott,  the  chairman  of 
the  Council,  and  immediately  after  the  General  Conference  held  at 
Jerusalem  a conference  was  held  at  Bagdad  for  workers  in  Persia 
and  Mesopotamia.  It  was  my  privilege  to  preside  at  the  conference 
in  Bagdad  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Mott  and  to  carry  the  greetings 
and  “findings”  of  the  Jerusalem  Conference  to  the  missions  in  India. 

The  visit  to  India  had  as  its  primary  object  the  study  of  Islam  and 
its  present  day  movements  in  India  and  conferences  with  the  workers 
among  Moslems. 

We  desire  to  express  our  gratitude  to  the  friends  whose  generosity 
made  this  visit  possible,  and  especially  for  the  provision  which 
made  it  possible  for  Mrs.  Zwemer  to  accompany  me  all  the  way ; 
she  took  her  part  in  the  various  conferences  and  contributed  her 
experiences  in  Arabia  and  Cairo  to  those  whom  we  met. 

This  report  is  printed  for  private  circulation  only,  and  consists  of 
three  parts:  (1)  A brief  itinerary  of  our  journey  from  Cairo  via 
Jerusalem,  Bagdad  and  the  Persian  Gulf  to  India  and  Ceylon.  (2) 
Some  observations  and  impressions  regarding  Islam  in  India  and 
the  need  for  missionaries  among  its  Moslem  population.  (3)  An 
account  of  the  fifteen  conferences  held  with  their  resolutions. 


3 


OUR  ITINERARY 


March  31 

Left  Cairo  for  Jerusalem. 

April  3-7 

General  Conference  for  workers  in  Moslem  lands  at  Jerusa- 
lem. 

“ 8 

Jerusalem  to  Haifa  via  Nazareth  and  Nablus. 

“ 9 

Beirut,  visiting  the  American  Press  and  University. 

“ 10-12 

Travel  from  Damascus  to  Bagdad  by  motor-convoy  of  the 
Nairn  Transport  Company. 

“ 13-16 

Bagdad.  Church  services  and  conference  with  missionaries 
from  Persia  and  Mesopotamia.  By  rail  to  Busrah. 

“ 19-20 

Busrah.  Meeting  with  missionaries  and  church  services. 

“ 21-23 

Travel  down  the  Gulf,  calling  at  Kuwait  and  Bushire. 

“ 24-May  11  At  Bahrein.  Visiting  our  old  station.  Meeting  many  Arab 
friends  and  holding  conference  with  the  mission. 


May  15 
“ 20 

Muscat.  Visit  to  the  mission. 
Arrived  Bombay. 

“ 22 

Lucknow.  Visited  the  Methodist  Press,  the  Imambara,  pal- 
aces of  the  Kings  of  Oudh  and  the  Shiah  Training  College. 

“ 24 

Aligarh.  Visited  the  two  Moslem  Universities. 

“ 25 

Delhi.  The  Cambridge  Mission. 

“ 27 

Lahore.  Church  reception.  Meetings  at  the  College  and 
with  the  Committee  on  Christian  Literature. 

“ 28 

Left  for  Qadian,  the  center  of  the  Ahmadiya  Movement,  via 
Gurudaspur,  a station  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Mission. 
Visit  to  “His  Holiness,  the  Caliph  of  the  Promised  Messiah.” 

“ 29  Left  for  Landour-Mussoorie,  hill  stations. 

May  30-June  8 Conference  with  missionaries  at  the  Language  School  (Lan- 
dour)  and  addresses  at  the  Convention  for  the  Deepening 


June  9 
“ 11-17 

of  the  Spiritual  Life  (Mussoorie),  Woodstock  School,  etc. 
Address  at  Dehra  Dun  to  Moslems  and  Hindus. 

Conference  at  Naini-Tal. 

“ 18 

At  Bareilly  on  the  way  to  Calcutta. 

5 

June  20-24 

Calcutta.  Visits  to  Moslem  book-shops,  meeting  with  Com- 
mittee on  Christian  Literature,  conference  and  preaching 
services. 

“ 25 

Travel  to  Bogra  in  Central  Bengal. 

“ 26-29 

At  Bogra.  Conference  and  visit  to  old  Moslem  shrine; 
services  and  address  to  Moslems. 

“ 30 

Calcutta.  Address  at  the  Missionary  Conference  and  in  the 
Thoburn  Memorial  Church. 

July  1-2 
“ 3-9 

Travel  to  Bombay. 

Bombay.  Addresses  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  before  the  Bombay 
Branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  at  Wilson  College 
and  conferences  in  Bowen  Memorial  Hall. 

“ 10 

Poona.  Conference  with  missionaries  and  visit  to  Moslem 
Missionary  Society  headquarters  of  the  Ismailia  sect.  Also 
to  that  called  Jamiat-i-Dawat-e-Tabligh-i-Islam. 

“ 12-16 

Hyderabad,  capital  of  the  Nizam’s  dominions.  Visited 
mosques.  Met  a number  of  the  leading  Mohammedan 
gentry,  held  conference  with  the  missionaries  and  gave  four 
public  addresses  in  St.  George’s  Hall.  Preached  at  Hydera- 
bad and  the  neighboring  city,  Secunderabad. 

“ 17 

Conference  at  Bezwada  with  C.  M.  S.  and  other  missionaries 
while  awaiting  connection  with  train  for  Madras. 

“ 18-21 

Madras.  Conferences  with  missionaries  and  with  Indian 
Christians. 

Address  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Sunday  services  and  visits  to 
the  Moslem  publishing  centers. 

“ 22 

Vaniyambadi.  Visit  to  Moslem  schools  and  conference  with 
Lutheran  missionaries. 

“ 23-28 

Visiting,  the  Arcot  Mission  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
America,  Gudiyatam,  Palmaner,  Chittoor  and  Vellore.  A 
conference  was  held  at  Vellore  and  special  meetings  for 
Mohammedans  had  been  arranged  here  and  at  other  centers. 

“ 29 

Bangalore.  Conference.  A visit  to  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  and  address  to  Moslems  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

“ 31 -Aug.  2 Awaiting  steamer  at  Madras  for  Colombo,  the  floods  having 
prevented  our  journey  by  rail  to  Madura  and  southward. 


Aug.  3-5 

At  Colombo.  Conference  of  all  missionaries  and  Indian 
workers,  address  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  visit  to  the  Moham- 
medan Zahira  College  and  the  booksellers’  quarter. 

" 7 

Sailed  by  the  S.  S.  President  Adams. 

“ 19 

Arrived  Port  Said  and  Alexandria.  Met  some  of  the  mis- 
sionaries at  Schutz. 

“ 28 
Sept.  8 

Arrived  Marseilles. 
Arrived  Boston. 

6 


ISLAM  IN  INDIA  TODAY 


The  Moslem  Population  of  India. — The  following  are  the  census 
returns  for  India,  giving  the  Moslem  population  of  each  province 
according  to  the  census  of  1921 : 

Total  population  of  India 316,128,721 

Moslem  population  68,735,233 


By  Provinces: 

Ajmer  101,776 

Andamans  4,104 

Assam  2,202,460 

Baluchistan  367,282 

Baroda  162,328 

Bengal  25,210,802 

Bihar  and  Orissa 3,690,182 

Bombay  3,820,153 

Burma  500,592 

Central  India 331,520 

Central  Provinces 563,574 

Coorg 13,021 

Gwalior  176,883 

Hyderabad  1,298,277 

Kashmir  2,548,514 

Madras  2,840,488 

Mysore  340,461 

North  West  Frontiers  2,062,786 

Punjab  11,444,321 

Rajputana  900,341 

Sikim  20 

United  Provinces  6,481,032 

Ceylon  308,694 

French  and  Portuguese  India  75,000 

It  is  only  by  comparison  with  other  countries  that  these  enormous 

figures  can  be  appreciated.  The  single  province  of  Bengal  for  ex- 
ample has  a larger  Moslem  population  than  all  Arabia,  Egypt  and 

Persia  together.  The  number  of  Mohammedans  in  the  Punjab  alone 

is  nearly  as  large  as  in  Egypt.  In  no  less  than  ten  provinces  there 

is  a Moslem  population  of  over  one  million  each.  The  accompanying 

map  gives  the  per  cent,  of  Moslems  compared  with  the  total  popula- 

tion for  each  province. 

The  Mohammedans  of  India  are  distinguished  among  themselves 
and  in  the  census  reports  by  race,  by  origin  and  by  sect.  The  so- 

7 


called  Sheikhs  represent  the  descendants  of  the  earliest  Hindu  con- 
verts; the  Moghuls  (about  300,000)  are  those  whose  ancestors 
belonged  to  that  dynasty;  Seyyids  trace  their  line  to  Mohammed  him- 
self and  Quraishis  to  the  people  of  Mecca;  the  Pathans  (about  six 
millions)  came  originally  from  across  the  Afghan  borders  and  those 
called  Sindhis,  Baluchis  and  Arabs  (200,000)  from  the  country  indi- 
cated; those  of  Persian  origin  (about  300,000)  are  called  Farsis; 
the  Labbais  and  Moplahs  of  mixed  origin,  are  found  on-  the  Malabar 
coast  and  Madras;  finally  there  are  Khojas  and  Bohras,  Moslem 
trader  castes  of  western  India,  and  a few  Somalis  in  Bombay  Presi- 
dency. 

According  to  sect  we  have  first  of  all  the  two  main  divisions  of 
Sunni  (the  vast  majority)  and  Shiah  (less  than  a million).  The 
Shiahs  are  found  chiefly  in  and  around  Lucknow  and  Rampur.  They 
are  divided  into  those  who  follow  the  Twelve  Imams  and  the  Ismailis. 


8 


The  latter  are  found  chiefly  in  Bombay  Presidency,  and  trace  their 
spiritual  ancestry  to  Hassan,  Chief  of  the  Assassins  (1166  A.  D.). 
They  are  divided  into  Bohras  (the  original  Ismailis)  with  two  groups, 
(Dawudiya  and  Suleimaniya)  and  Khojas.  All  of  the  latter  and 
some  of  the  former  consider  the  Agha  Khan  their  spiritual  head.  The 
Sunnis  mostly  belong  to  the  two  orthodox  schools,  Hanafi  (48  mil- 
lion) and  Shafai  (in  Madras,  one  million).  Sunnis,  who  have 
Wahabi  tendencies  but  pass  under  different  names,  are  found  in  the 
United  Provinces  and  Bengal  to  the  number  of  ten  million. 

The  New  Islam  is  represented  by  the  followers  of  Seyyid  Ahmad 
and  Seyyid  Ameer  Ali,  who  call  themselves  by  the  old  name  Mu’ta- 
zali,  or  Nacharis,  i.  e.,  those  whose  theology  is  natural ! The  hetero- 
dox Sunnis  are  the  Memans  of  Cutch,  the  Mehdevis  of  Gujerat  and 
the  Ahmadiyas  of  Qadian  and  Lahore.  The  last  named  number  less 
than  70,000. 

The  languages  used  by  the  Mohammedans  of  India  are  chiefly  the 
following:  Urdu,  Bengali,  Marathi,  Gujerati,  Pushtu,  Punjabi, 
Tamil,  Telegu,  Malayalam,  Arabic,  Persian  and  English.  The  three 
languages  last  named  are  cultivated  by  the  educated  Moslems  and  a 
considerable  literature  is  published  and  circulated  in  these  three  lan- 
guages for  the  whole  of  India. 

The  number  of  Moslems  who  are  literates  in  English  is  large  and 
constantly  increasing.  In  Hyderabad  State  alone  they  number  20,- 
000.  A score  of  English  papers  and  magazines  are  published  by  the 
Mohammedans  of  India.  Among  the  more  important  are : The  Mus- 
sulman (Calcutta)  ; The  Peace  (Dacca)  ; The  Moslem  Outlook 
(Lahore)  ; The  Review  of  Religions  (Qadian)  ; The  Crescent  (Co- 
lombo) ; and  The  Comrade  (Delhi).  In  all  of  the  great  vernaculars 
there  are  Moslem  dailies,  weeklies  and  monthly  pub’ications,  although 
some  have  been  suppressed  by  Government.  In  contrast  with  this 
remarkable  literary  activity  the  vast  majority  of  all  the  Moham- 
medans are  still  illiterate — nearly  96  per  cent.  Illiteracy  among 
women  and  girls  is  well  nigh  universal.  Only  284,661  Moslem  girls 
were  receiving  instruction  in  all  India  according  to  the  Census  of 
1921. 

The  Moslem  brotherhoods  of  the  Mystic  orders  are  chiefly : 
Qadariya,  Sohrawardiya,  Nagshabandiya,  Chistiya  and  Shattariya. 
The  literature  of  mysticism  has  a large  place  in  the  life  of  the  people. 
We  found  translations  of  the  devotional  works  of  A1  Ghazali,  Sha’ar- 
ani  and  Ar-Rumin  in  a number  of  languages.  Very  few  of  the  mis- 


9 


sionaries  seemed  aware  of  these  brotherhoods  or  were  in  touch  with 
them.  Yet  these  are  the  true  seekers  after  God  among  Moslems. 

Missionary  Occupation.  According  to  the  Directory  of  Christian 
Missions,  1922,  there  are  5,925  foreign  workers  in  India,  Burma  and 
Ceylon  compared  with  6,562  foreign  workers  in  China.  In  India 
there  are  996  centers  where  foreign  workers  reside  compared  with 
675  such  centers  in  China.  When  we  remember  that  the  population 
of  India  including  Burma  and  Ceylon  is  323,440,166  and  the  popula- 
tion of  China  is  441,000,000,  it  would  seem  that  India  is  a less  needy 
field  than  China.  This  is  not  true,  however,  of  Moslem  India. 
Among  the  5,925  foreign  workers  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful  whether 
there  are  even  one  hundred  who  give  themselves  wholly  to  work 
among  the  Moslems  and  have  received  special  training  for  such  work. 

When  we  study  the  map  of  India  showing  the  distribution  of  for- 
eign missionaries  to  each  million  of  the  population  by  provinces,  it 
is  evident  that  the  Mohammedan  sections  are  the  most  sparsely 
occupied.  Not  only  is  Mohammedan  India  a neglected  field  taken 
in  the  large,  but  province  by  province  this  holds  true  with  few  ex- 
ceptions. 

Many  of  the  provinces,  too,  have  a special  interest  and  importance. 
Ajmere,  for  example,  has  only  a small  Moslem  population  but  the 
tomb  of  Mu’in-ed-din  Chisti  (died  1236)  is  a pilgrim  center  for  all 
India.  Baluchistan  is  ninety  per  cent.  Moslem  and  to  a large  extent 
unoccupied.  In  Bihar,  at  Bankipore,  is  the  largest  and  richest  library 
of  Arabic  and  Persian  manuscripts  in  all  India.  Bombay  Presidency 
not  only  has  its  large  Moslem  population  in  Sindh,  Cutch,  Gujerat  and 
the  Konkan  coast  but  Bombay  is  the  chief  center  for  the  Mecca  pil- 
grims and  sends  a large  Moslem  emigration  to  East  Africa,  Burma 
and  Mauritius.  In  Central  India  the  principal  Moslem  state  is 
Bhopal,  founded  in  1707  by  an  Afghan  Nawab.  The  Begum  of 
Bhopal  is  a leader  in  social  and  educational  reform.  The  141,758 
Mohammedans  in  the  capital  city  of  Delhi  have  traditions  and  politi- 
cal ambitions  that  emphasize  the  importance  of  work  done  at  this 
center.  Kashmir,  next  to  Baluchistan  and  the  Northwest  Province, 
has  the  largest  proportion  of  Mohammedans  in  any  province.  These 
three  areas  also  are  on  the  border  marches  of  Afghanistan  and  Cen- 
tral Asia. 

The  pathos  of  the  situation,  however,  is  that  there  are  whole  dis- 
tricts wholly  or  predominantly  Mohammedan  without  a single  for- 
eign missionary  witness  for  Christ. 

10 


The  following  are  some  of  the  impressions  we  gained  of  the  situ- 
ation in  India  and  the  task  of  evangelization : 

1.  “Moslem  India  is  in  a very  real  sense  an  unoccupied  field.” 
This  quotation  from  the  Jerusalem  findings  expresses  the  situation 
in  terms  none  too  strong.  It  is  true  of  India  as  a whole  and  is  true 
of  many  of  its  provinces  and  especially  of  the  masses  in  the  great 
cities.  The  opportunity  and  the  need  in  cities  like  Bombay,  Luck- 
now, Hyderabad,  Delhi,  Lahore,  Calcutta  and  Madras  is  evident  to 
anyone  who  will  visit  the  Moslem  quarters,  read  their  press  or  study 
the  terrible  social  conditions  that  obtain.  Yet  at  nearly  all  of  the 
conferences  held,  the  answer  was  unequivocal, — that,  if  not  always 
in  the  educational  program  and  in  social  service,  Moslems  were  neg- 
lected in  the  work  of  evangelization. 

In  addition  to  the  findings  given  and  the  resolution  of  the  Jeru- 
salem Conference,  we  may  call  attention  to  what  was  stated  at  and 
approved  by  the  Christian  Council  of  Bengal  and  Assam  at  its  meet- 
ing on  March  22d,  1924: 

“In  1906  a responsible  member  of  one  of  the  largest  Mission  Boards  could  say  that  ‘the 
Mohammedan  issue  does  not  even  occur  to  many  missionaries  in  India.’  He  would  need  to 
modify  his  statement  today,  for  in  1911  there  was  formed  a league  of  mission  workers 
for  promoting  greater  interest  and  effort  in  the  evangelization  of  Moslems,  and  at  the 
present  time  it  has  a membership  in  India  and  the  East  of  360,  two-thirds  of  whom  work 
in  India.  But,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge,  there  has  not  been  a corresponding  growth 
in  interest  and  endeavor  for  Moslems  on  the  part  of  organized  churches  and  missionary 
bodies,  whether  in  India  or  at  the  Home  Base.  We  consequently  feel  that  a two-fold 
danger  confronts  us:  the  danger  lest  the  churches  fail  to  make  prompt  and  wise  use  of  this 
period  of  exceptional  opportunity;  and  lest  the  new-found  zeal  of  already  hard-worked 
men  and  women  on  the  field  to  bring  the  Gospel  message  to  bear  on  Moslems,  be  allowed 
to  suffer  through  lack  of  intelligent  and  sympathetic  support.” 

2.  A second  impression  gained  after  many  interviews  with  Indian 
Christians  of  Moslem  and  Hindu  origin,  with  missionaries  of  ex- 
perience and  from  actual  contact  with  Moslems,  educated  and  illiter- 
ate, is  the  crying  need  for  specially  trained  workers.  I am  convinced 
that  a knowledge  of  Arabic,  even  if  only  of  its  fundamentals,  enor- 
mously increases  the  ability  and  efficiency  of  those  who  desire  to 
win  Moslems  in  India. 

This  is  due  not  only  to  the  fact  that  Arabic  is  read  and  spoken  in 
India  by  many  Moslems,  (far  more  than  we  think)  but  to  the  fact 
that  all  Mohammedan  vernaculars  are  steeped  in  Islamic  vocabulary 
and  thought,  and  that  only  those  who  know  Urdu  or  Arabic,  better 
both,  can  intelligently  read  the  manuals  of  devotion  and  prayer  pre- 
pared in  diglot  and  triglot  for  the  various  language  areas.  The  need 
of  a glossary  of  Moslem  terms,  as  used  by  themselves,  in  Bengali, 

11 


Tamil,  Gujerati  and  other  languages  is  self-evident.  When  educated 
Tamil  and  Bengali  speaking  Christians  tried  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  to  read  Moslem  literature  in  those  languages,  they  found  it  un- 
intelligible. 

Special  preparation  should  include  first  of  all  a knowledge  of 
Urdu,  the  lingua  franca  all  over  India  and  of  Islamics.  In  northern 
India  this  is  fully  realized,  but  in  southern  India  some  are  uncon- 
vinced of  its  necessity. 

In  this  connection  it  is  well  to  record  the  opinion  expressed  by  the 
Rev.  Richard  A.  Hickling  of  the  London  Mission,  Chikka,  Ballapura, 
at  the  Vellore  Conference,  which  he  put  in  writing  for  us  and 
which  is  shared  by  many  of  those  whom  I met  at  other  conferences : 

“Work  among  Mussalmans  involves  in  my  opinion  special  preparation  both 
of  missionaries  and  Indian  Christians  who  undertake  it.  The  attitude  of 
mind  needed  for  effective  presentation  of  the  Gospel  to  Hindus  can  only  be 
gained  by  careful  preparation,  and  those  who  have  had  this  preparation  can 
only  very  rarely  re-adapt  themselves  to  the  absolutely  different  presupposi- 
tions of  the  Mussalman.  Argument,  whether  open  or  tacit,  is  unavoidable  in 
both  cases  and  the  arguments  that  are  of  the  greatest  weight  in  the  one  case 
have  very  small  value  in  the  other.  Work  among  Muslims  in  India  means 
considerable  familiarity  with  their  theology,  long  study  of  Arabic  and  Per- 
sian and  the  use  of  Urdu  as  the  vernacular.  It  is  of  simply  no  use  pre- 
senting the  Gospel  to  Mussalmans  in  the  Hindu  vernaculars.  The  terms  used 
simply  do  not  touch  them. 

I have  personally  learned  Urdu  sufficiently  well  to  put  the  Gospel  before 
Mussalmans,  but  I am  at  a great  disadvantage  by  not  knowing  the  things  taken 
for  granted  by  them.  It  is  not  enough  for  the  missionaries  to  Hindus  to  learn 
Urdu  and  I would  earnestly  press  for  the  special  appointment  of  men  for 
this  work.  The  apparent'  urgency  of  the  problems  of  pantheism  and  idolatry 
have  led  us  to  concentrate  upon  Hinduism.  The  problem  of  supreme  urgency, 
however,  is  the  great  obstacle  to  the  claims  of  Christ  presented  by  militanit 
Islam  and  further  delay  by  the  Church  to  deal  with  it  will  in  my  opinion  be 
fraught  with  the  greatest  danger.” 

3.  The  activity  of  the  Moslem  Press,  its  polyglot  character  and 
its  increasing  use  of  English  as  a medium  for  propaganda  is  a chal- 
lenge to  the  Churches  to  make  a far  wider  use  of  Christian  Literal 
ture  and  bring  it  up-to-date. 

The  Islamic  Press  is  ubiquitous  and  enterprising;  it  is  well  sup- 
ported and  cooperates  with  the  press  in  other  Moslem  lands ; it  puts 
out  not  only  books  and  periodicals  but  wall-texts,  chromos,  litho- 
graphs, “Christmas  Cards”  for  Mohammed’s  birthday  and  “Cheque- 
books on  the  Bank  of  Faith.” 

Where  once  the  untranslatable  sacred  language  was  Arabic,  now 


12 


they  publish  Allah’s  Book  in  “languages  understanded  of  the  people.” 
We  found  on  sale  and  at  astonishingly  low  prices,  diglot  and  poly- 
glot editions  of  the  Koran  in  Arabic  with  Bengali,  Urdu,  Gujerati, 
Marathi,  Malayalam,  Tamil,  etc.,  as  well  as  four  English  versions  by 
Moslems.  Three  distinct  Bengali  translations  of  the  Koran  now 
exist.  The  standard  Mohammedan  translation  in  folio  edition  ap- 
peared as  a third  reprint  a few  years  ago  and  the  publishers  told 
us  that  20,000  copies  of  this  third  edition  are  sold  every  year  in 
Calcutta.  In  addition  there  is  one,  published  some  29  years  ago 
anonymously  by  a Brahmo-Somaj  Bengali  scholar,  and  the  recent 
translation  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  Goldsack.  A firm  of  booksellers,  after 
cross-questioning,  insisted  that  they  were  printing  no  less  than  10 
million  copies  of  one  Arabic  leaflet  (used  as  an  amulet)  every  year. 
I have  no  doubt  that  Arabic  Christian  literature  would  find  readers 
in  the  chief  Moslem  centers  if  an  Arabic-speaking  colporteur,  or  one 
who  knew  Arabic  as  well  as  Urdu,  were  engaged  in  this  special 
work.  Arabic  newspapers  are  read  widely  and  at  least  one  Arabic 
paper  is  published  in  Calcutta. 

At  Lahore,  while  attending  a meeting  of  the  Committee  on  Moslem 
Literature  of  the  National  Christian  Council,  I was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  splendid  work  accomplished  and  proposed  by  this  committee. 
A number  of  new  books  and  leaflets  were  approved  for  publication, 
but  it  became  clear  in  our  discussion  that  much  more  was  needed 
and  that  a large  part  of  the  literature  proposed  for  use  in  Egypt  and 
Syria  would  be  also  eminently  suitable  for  Indian  Moslems.  Co- 
operation with  the  Central  Bureau  at  Cairo  is  therefore  essential. 
The  great  desiderata,  however,  are  new  plans,  methods  and  release 
of  energy  for  distribution  of  the  literature  that  already  exists.  Until 
we  can  create  a conscience  on  this  matter  among  the  rank  and  file 
of  workers  who  meet  Moslems,  the  literature  output  will  be  lying 
idle  on  the  shelves. 

It  is  also  desirable  that  the  Indian  Church  should  set  aside  some 
of  its  leaders  in  the  various  language  areas  for  the  special  work  of 
preparing  literature  for  Moslems.  This  can  only  be  done  satisfac- 
torily when  such  workers  make  a study  of  the  Moslem  press,  both 
of  periodicals  and  books.  I was  astonished  at  the  general  ignorance 
which  seemed  to  prevail  concerning  the  activity  of  the  Moslem 
press,  and  the  character  of  its  literature.  To  supplement  the  excel- 
lent survey  prepared  by  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Clayton,  “Christian  Litera- 
ture in  India,”  we  need  a modest  but  thorough  study  of  what  the 

13 


Moslems  in  India  have  been  writing  during  the  past  ten  years  on 
religious  subjects,  especially  of  their  present  day  attitude  to  Jesus 
Christ  and  Christianity.  It  is  my  impression  that  such  a survey 
would  prove  a revelation  of  both  the  strength  and  the  weakness  of 
the  Mohammedan  position  and  lead  to  new  methods  and  new  suc- 
cess in  our  presentation  of  the  Gospel. 

A visit  to  Qadian,  the  chief  propaganda  center  of  the  Ahmadiya 
movement,  has  convinced  me  that  not  only  in  India,  but  throughout 
the  Moslem  world,  we  cannot  over-emphasize  the  importance  of  the 
printed  page  as  the  most  economical  and  most  effective  method  for 
carrying  our  message  of  the  Cross.  The  use  of  the  English  lan- 
guage by  the  Moslem  press  is  most  significant.  Have  the  missions 
realized  that  English  is  thus  becoming  a Moslem  world  language  and 
that  we  should  use  this  channel  far  more  than  has  yet  been  attempted  ? 
There  are,  in  India,  no  less  than  twenty  English  newspapers  and 
magazines  published  by  Moslems  and  intended  for  the  defence  and 
propagation  of  their  faith. 

4.  The  aggressive  missionary  activity  of  Moslems.  Islam  is  al- 
ways aggressive  and  uses  methods  suited  to  its  environment.  Once 
the  sword  and  the  slave-trade,  now  the  pen  and  itinerant  propa- 
gandist. We  were  fortunate  to  secure  an  unpublished  document  of 
one  of  these  Moslem  missionary  societies,  setting  forth  its  program. 
It  is  worth  careful  perusal  and  shows  that  they  imitate  our  methods 
and  do  it  successfully. 

Among  the  Moplahs  in  Southwest  India,  following  and  preceding 
the  riots,  there  have  been  forced  conversions  of  Hindus  by  their 
Moslem  neighbors.  Canfm  Goldsmith,  of  Madras,  and  the  missions 
in  Ceylon  tell  of  converts  made  by  intermarriage  with  low  castes  or 
even  of  making  such  break  their  caste,  in  order  to  offer  them  a home 
in  the  Islamic  community.  In  North  India  the  two  Ahmadiya 
groups  are  very  active.  One  phase  of  the  “Hindu-Moslem  Unity” 
cry  is  the  call  for  new  translations  of  the  Koran.  A Hindu  wrote 
as  follows  to  the  Bombay  Chronicle  (July  1st,  1924)  : 

“While  both  Hindus  and  Mohammedans  are  made  to  know  something  about  the  Holy 
Bible  and  the  Christian  Faith,  neither  people  knows  anything  about  the  religion  of  the 
other.  The  Christian  missionaries  got  their  Bible  translated  into  all  Indian  languages 
and  spread  widely  copies  of  those  translations  with  the  result  that  at  least  a few  of  both 
the  major  communities  know,  and  know  considerably,  about  Christianity.  But  such  an 
arrangement  has  not  been  made  by  the  Moslems  about  their  "Holy  Koran”  being  widely 
known  by  Hindus.  Talking  about  my  own  province,  viz.,  Maharashtra  (by  it  I mean  the 
Berar  and  the  Marathi  speaking  Districts  both  of  the  C.  P.  and  Central  Indian  States),  I 
may  say  that  there  is  hardly  available  a readable  Marathi  translation  of  the  Koran. 

“An  increasing  number  of  Marathas  are  surely  trying  to  take  interest  in  the  Faith 
of  Islam  but  are  handicapped  for  want  of  any  means  within  their  reach  of  getting  the 

14 


necessary  knowledge.  I have  always  refrained  from  dealing  with  the  delicate  general  ques- 
tion of  the  Hindu  Moslem  unity.  There  is  one  thing,  however,  of  which  I am  certain, 
viz.,  that  a translation  of  the  Koran  into  Marathi  and  a wide  diffusion  of  copies  thereof 
will  go  a great  way  towards  laying  that  foundation  on  which  alone  you  can  build  the 
beautiful  superstructure  of  this  amity  in  the  great  province  of  Maharashtra.” 

Another  perhaps  amusing,  but  none  the  less  significant,  phase  of 
“Mission”  effort  is  the  appeal  to  magic  and  miracle.  At  Surat  the 
following  challenge  was  posted  in  many  villages.  It  indicates  how 
the  Arya  Somaj  is  stirring  the  zeal  of  Moslems : 

" CHALLENGE / Either  we  make  you  Mohammedans  or  you  make  us  Hindus. 

We  the  undersigned  challenge  the  great  Sadhu  of  the  Arya  Samaji  called  Shri  Sharad- 
lianand  to  show  us  the  following  eight  miracles  and  we  will  become  Hindus  or  if  we 
show  you  them  then  you  will  accept  this  challenge. 

This  does  not  mean  that  you  become  a Musselman  for  just  two  or  three  days  and  then 
go  back  into  Hinduism  but  that  you  give  in  a writing  before  some  Jewish,  European, 
Christian,  Hindu  or  Mohammedan  gentlemen  that  you  become  Musselman  forever.  If 
we  do  not  show  you  one  of  these  miracles  we  become  Hindus.  (The  Peacock,  cobra  and 
cow  must  not  be  trained  ones.) 

1.  Put  your  hand  in  the  mouth  of  a real  poisonous  cobra. 

2.  Drink  the  poison  from  a cobra;  have  you  courage  to  do  it? 

3.  In  seven  hours  cure  a sick  man  of  any  kind  of  sickness. 

4.  Make  a man  that  has  died  laugh  for  one  minute. 

5.  Place  a Koran  and  your  religious  book  side  by  side  with  a wreath  of  flowers  and  then 
place  a peacock  in  the  midst  and  he  will  take  the  wreath  of  flowers  and  put  it  on  the 
Koran.  Can  you  make  him  put  it  on  your  book? 

6.  Take  an  untrained  village  cow  and  stand  her  in  the  borders  of  the  village  and  have 
her  run  to  the  Masjid  and  bow  her  head  in  front  of  it. 

7.  Take  a green  tree  and  make  it  dry  for  five  minutes  and  afterwards  make  it  green. 

8.  Make  hair  two  inches  long  grow  on  the  head  of  a bald-headed  man  in  seventeen 
minutes. 

N.  B.  We  do  not  make  any  claim  to  divinity  but  our  Moslem  religion  is  true.  There- 
fore we  are  ready  to  show  the  above  miracles. 

Signed” 

The  above  is  translated  from  the  original  Gujerati. 

5.  Special  Training.  In  meeting  large  companies  of  new  mis- 
sionaries at  the  language  school  at  Landour  and  the  hill  station  at 
Naini-Tal,  I was  deeply  impressed  with  their  ability  for  this  new 
day  of  opportunity,  their  willingness  and  in  some  cases  their  utter 
eagerness  to  give  themselves  wholly  to  Mohammedan  evangelization, 
if  they  were  set  apart  for  this  purpose  by  their  Boards  and  So- 
cieties. Could  not  the  National  Christian  Council  press  this  matter 
home  to  all  societies  concerned?  It  would  seem  to  be  the  part  of 
wisdom  that  in  those  provinces  where  over  35  per  cent,  of  the  popu- 
lation is  Mohammedan,  new  missionaries  should  be  allowed  to  choose 
whether  they  will  qualify  for  work  among  Hindus  or  Moslems,  or 
at  least  their  mission  should  determine  the  matter.  The  double 
qualification  and  the  double  task  is  only  possible  in  exceptional  cases. 

15 


Today  the  lack  of  specially  qualified  workers  among  Moslems  is  as 
astonishing  as  it  is  pathetic. 

A knowledge  of  Islam,  the  Koran,  the  Hadith  and  of  the  method 
of  approach  is  so  essential  that  it  is  to  be  hoped  courses  of  study 
on  these  subjects  will  be  offered  in  all  the  language  centers  of  India 
and  the  Theological  Schools.  It  is  proposed  to  establish  a school 
of  Islamic  study  in  connection  with  the  Bareilly  Theological  Sem- 
inary, where  a large  plant  and  ample  accommodations  are  available. 
The  Rev.  M.  T.  Titus  writes: 

“The  purpose  of  the  school  will  be  to  provide  training  in  Islamics  and  the  methods  of 
evangelizing  Moslems  primarily  for  Indian  preachers,  but  also  for  such  missionaries  as  are 
prepared  to  do  the  work.  Since  Urda  is  the  lingua  franca  of  the  Moslem  in  India,  and 
since  the  worker  in  Dacca  or  Peshawar,  as  well  as  in  Delhi,  finds  it  indispensable  the  whole 
course  will  be  taught  in  Urdu.  Such  a course  will  also  prove  invaluable  to  the  missionary, 
for  if  he  is  to  do  anything  more  than  skim  the  surface,  he  will  sooner  or  later  have  to 
undertake  the  study  of  the  Islamic  subjects  from  the  very  books  that  the  moulvies  themselves 
use,  which  are  naturally  in  Urdu  or  Arabic.  Further  since  a knowledge  of  some  Arabic 
at  least  is  most  desirable,  not  to  say  indispensable,  a course  in  Arabic  will  be  required,  so 
as  to  enable  the  student  to  undertake  some  study  of  the  original  sources  of  Islam,  such 
as  the  Koran,  Hadith,  etc.” 

6.  Converts  and  Inquirers.  Although  no  accurate  statistics  are 
yet  available  regarding  the  number  of  converts  among  Islam  in  the 
Indian  Church,  that  number  is  large  and  steadily  increasing.  Dr. 
E.  M.  Wherry  wrote  some  years  ago : 

“The  accessions  from  Islam  especially  in  Northern  India,  have  been  continuous  during 
all  the  years  since  the  death  of  Henry  Martyn.  One  here  and  another  there,  has  been  added 
to  the  Christian  Church,  so  that  now  as  one  looks  over  the  rolls  of  church  membership, 
he  is  surprised  to  find  so  many  converts  from  Islam,  or  the  children  and  children’s 
children  of  such  converts.  In  the  North,  especially  the  Punjab,  and  the  Northwest  Frontier 
Province,  every  congregation  has  a representation  from  the  Moslem  ranks.  Some  of  the 
churches  have  a majority  of  their  membership  gathered  from  amongst  the  Mussulmans. 
In  a few  cases  there  has  been  something  like  a movement  among  Moslems  towards  Chris- 
tianity, and  a considerable  number  have  come  out  at  one  time.  But  perhaps  the  fact  which 
tells  most  clearly  the  story  of  the  advance  of  Christianity  among  Moslems  in  India  is 
this,  that  among  the  native  pastors  and  Christian  preachers  and  teachers  in  North  India, 
there  are  at  least  two  hundred  who  were  once  followers  of  Islam.” 

In  the  Punjab  alone  the  converts  now  number  several  thousand 
and  some  of  the  outstanding  leaders  of  the  Indian  Church  are  among 
them.  We  note  also  that  the  missionaries  at  the  Bogra  Conference 
estimated  the  number  of  baptized  Moslems  in  Bengal  at  sixteen 
thousand.  A careful  estimate  for  all  India  and  a list  of  those  con- 
verts who  occupy  high  position  in  Church  and  state  today  would 
encourage  the  timid  and  prove  an  inspiration  to  workers  among 
Moslems  everywhere.  There  is  far  more  liberty  to  preach  Christ 
and  confess  Christ  openly  in  India  than  in  any  other  Moslem  land 
with  the  possible  exception  of  Java.  Yet  there  are  also  cases  of 
persecution. 


16 


In  conversation  with  converts  and  inquirers  and  more  especially 
after  an  interview  with  a distinguished  Indian  Christian  barrister, 
I concluded  that  there  is  need  for  the  study  of  the  present  legal  status 
and  rights  of  a convert  from  Islam  (an  apostate)  throughout  India. 
Has  the  “Caste-disabilities  Removal  Act”  proved  adequate  to  pro- 
tect the  life,  marriage-ties  and  property  of  converts?  In  native  states 
as  well  as  in  India  under  British  rule?  Has  there  been  an  attempt 
to  revive  the  law  of  apostasy  as  e.  g.  in  Bhopal,  and  can  we  expect 
large  accessions  to  the  Church  as  long  as  such  laws  and  “disabili- 
ties” exist?  We  need  a clear  statement  of  the  present  legal  status 
of  Moslem  converts  for  the  guidance  of  workers  and  in  order  that 
steps  may  be  taken,  if  necessary,  to  secure  greater  liberty  and  free- 
dom. 

A far  more  serious  question  which  the  Indian  Church  must  solve 
is  that  of  “Hindu-Moslem  unity”  within  the  Church.  Letters  I re- 
ceived from  converts,  the  discussions  in  conferences,  and  especially 
the  testimony  given  at  a meeting  with  the  Committee  on  Moslem 
Work  for  Assam  and  Bengal  raised  the  question — why  in  some 
quarters  converts  from  Islam  are  not  welcomed  into  the  Church  by 
Hindu-Christians.  The  situation  reminded  one  strongly  of  that  in 
the  Near  East. 

The  diagnosis  of  this  evil  and  the  remedy  so  ably  outlined  by 
Canon  W.  H.  T.  Gairdner  in  his  paper  on  “The  Church  as  Home 
for  Christ’s  Converts  from  Islam”  might  well  prove  a guide  also 
for  India. 

Four  reasons  were  given  by  the  missionaries  and  Indian  Chris- 
tians why  the  Church  does  not  always  welcome  the  Moslem  who 
turns  to  Christ  in  Bengal:  (1)  The  Church  is  discouraged  by  occa- 
sional relapse  of  such  converts;  (2)  a large  proportion  of  the  con- 
verts are  from  the  lower  classes  and  seek  support  only;  (3)  the  lan- 
guage used  by  Hindus  and  Mussulmans  is  not  identical — Mussul- 
man-Bengali  is  the  cause  for  a barrier  in  speech ; (4)  this  reason  is 
fundamental,  namely,  the  age-long  historical  schism  between  Hindu 
and  Mohammedan,  which  gives  rise  to  suspicion  and  jealousy.  But 
when  nationalism  advocates  nay  compels  Hindu-Moslem  unity  in 
politics,  the  Church  should  manifest  it  in  its  life,  for  only  in  Christ 
is  such  unity  possible. 

7.  The  present  attitude  of  the  Educated  Moslem  to  the  Gospel  is 
sympathetic,  even  eager,  although  also  severely  critical  of  Christian 
life  and  doctrine.  The  ethical  standards  of  Christ  are  openly  ap- 

17 


proved  and  the  New  Testament  is  searched  for  truth.  The  general 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  reveals  itself  in  the  quotations  found 
in  Moslem  newspapers  and  in  their  propagandist  literature.  The 
arena  of  conflict  once  was  the  Koran,  now  they  themselves  have 
chosen  the  Bible. 

In  every  Moslem  newspaper  or  magazine  our  western  civilization 
is  tested  by  the  ethical  standards  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  World  War, 
the  race  prejudices  of  America  or  Great  Britain  shown  in  their 
treatment  of  the  Negro  or  the  Indian,  the  exclusion  of  the  Japanese 
from  the  United  States,  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquor,  immodesty  of 
dress  and  behavior  of  Westerners — all  these  are  the  subjects  for 
editorials  and  the  editor  finds  Scripture  to  support  him  in  his  dia- 
tribe or  discussion. 

This  new  attitude  of  the  Moslem  mind  toward  the  Gospel  is  indi- 
cated also  by  questions  that  were  sent  in  to  me  after  public  ad- 
dresses or  in  some  cases  by  mail.  Nothing  indicates  better  the  pres- 
ent day  attitude  of  Islam  and  the  difficulties  they  have  than  such 
questions  as  were  put  for  immediate  reply  or  in  some  cases  as  a 
challenge  to  establish  the  truth  of  Islam  versus  Christianity.  Here 
are  fifteen  of  them: 

1.  One  of  the  principal  claims  which  Christians  advance  as  to  the  personality  of  Jesus 
is  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God — a son  not  in  the  sense  in  which  every  human  soul  is  con- 
sidered a child  of  God — but  a Son  having  been  directly  procreated  by  God  on  the  person  of 
Mary  and  that  He  was  God  incarnate  Himself.  Are  these  claims  sustainable  in  view  of 
such  evidence  to  the  contrary  as  would  appear  in  Mark  X.  18;  Luke  XVIII;  Matt.  XIX.  17; 
John  XIV.  12  and  John  XX.  17? 

2.  Did  Jesus  ever  dream  of  making  Himself  pass  for  an  incarnation  of  God?  Is  there 
any  evidence  in  the  synoptic  Gospels? 

3.  What  inference  would  you  draw  from  verses  expressing  that  Jesus  was  God  and 
was  not  God?  Docs  His  dying  ejaculation  on  the  cross  (Matt.  XXVII.  46;  Mark  XV.  34) 
help  us  in  any  way  to  believe  that  Jesus  was  the  prophesied  Messiah  of  the  Jews? 

4.  Again,  do  such  instances  as  His  cursing  a fig  tree;  His  upsetting  the  tables  and 
seats  and  driving  out  with  a whip  those  who  had  entered  the  temple  for  religious  purposes; 
drowning  about  two  thousand  pigs  at  Gadarene;  and  His  conduct  towards  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  using  the  most  opprobrious  and  abusive  epithets,  tend  to  prove  an  unim- 
peachable conduct? 

5.  Was  it  not  until  the  year  325  at  the  first  Council  of  Nice  that  the  honor  of  a divine 
paternity  was  definitely  conferred  upon  Jesus? 

6.  Do  Mark  and  John  say  even  a word  about  the  birth  and  the  early  life  of  Jesus?  Do 
not  Matthew  and  Luke  differ  very  widely  in  their  accounts  relating  to  His  early  life? 

7.  Could  a child  be  actually  begotten  by  something  without  body,  parts,  passions,  boun- 
daries, or  material  composition — by  something  exactly  equivalent  to  empty  space — by  some- 
thing so  vast  in  extent  that  light,  travelling  ten  billion  times  ten  billion  ages,  would  be  no 
nearer  the  end  of  it  than  we  are  now — by  something  which,  for  want  of  room  to  move  in, 
is,  of  necessity,  utterly  incapable  of  the  slightest  motion  in  any  direction? 

8.  How  is  it  that  Matthew  does  not  record  anything  relating  to  the  activities  of  Jesus 
after  the  latter’s  return  from  Egypt?  Matthew  abruptly  drops  Jesus,  and  then  just  as 
abruptly  reintroduces  Him  upon  the  stage  at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  as  a worker  of 
miracles  and  as  a preacher  of  what,  to  most  of  the  Jews,  seemed  new  and  strange  doctrines. 
Why  this  long  silence?  Is  it  credible  that  a person  whose  birth  had  been  announced  by  the 

18 


sudden  appearance  of  a wonderful  star  in  the  eastern  heavens,  and  by  many  other  remark- 
able phonomena;  is  it  credible  that  a person,  who  while  yet  an  infant  had  been  worshipped  by 
wise  men  from  the  East;  is  it  credible  that  a person  whose  birth  had  caused  Herod  and  all 
Jerusalem  to  be  troubled;  is  it  credible  that  a person  on  whose  account  all  the  childrei 
of  an  entire  city  and  of  "all  the  coasts  thereof”  had  been  butchered — is  it  credible  we 
ask,  that  this  person  passed  into  oblivion  so  perfect  that  all  His  friends  and  neighbors,  even 
those  who  knew  all  the  circumstances  of  His  birth,  came  to  believe  that  He  was  Joseph's 
son?  Is  it  credible  that  for  thirty  years  this  person  neither  said  nor  did  anything  worthy 
of  notice  f 

9.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  four  animals  in  Book  of  Daniel  7th  chapter.  Fully 
explain. 

10.  Why  have  Christians  changed  the  Sabbath  that  the  4th  Commandment  mentions? 

11.  What  is  the  meaning  of  John  14:15;  and  which  are  the  commandments  of  Jesus? 

12.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Reverend?  Why  do  people  have  that  name?  Explain  from 
New  Testament. 

13.  What  is  Salvation?  And  what  is  Sin? 

14.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Son.  of  Godf 

15.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit? 

It  is  perfectly  evident  from  such  questions  where  young  educated 
Moslems  find  difficulty  with  Christian  teaching  and  equally  evident 
that  they  are  studying  the  New  Testament.  What  pathos  of  searching 
and  what  utter  sincerity  there  is  in  such  a letter  as  was  shown  me 
from  one  Moslem  student  to  another,  dated  Lahore,  January  19th, 
1924: 

“Dear  S.  A. — I apologize  for  my  silence.  . . . Only  yesterday  I was  thinking  that 
I had  almost  closed  up  the  books  of  philosophy  and  that  I should  not  neglect  the  food 
which  supplies  nourishment  to  the  vital  springs  of  my  being.  I mean  to  include  in  my 
studies  the  somewhat  far-fetched  subject  of  Buddhism,  its  value  being  that  although  ignoring 
God,  it  satisfies  the  highest  conceivable  aspirations  of  our  soul.  Buddhism  thinks  that  the 
objects  of  their  longings  are  too  great  to  be  in  the  power  of  God  to  bestow  them. 

What  are  you  doing  in  the  cause  of  true  insight  and  true  knowledge?  You  must  fight 
against  the  grossness  that  “Our  one  true  religion”  inculcates.  For  myself  I have  abandoned 
the  task,  finding  all  of  them  too  much  steeped  in  ignorance  and  prejudice;  and  then  sec- 
ondly I have  not  too  much  courage  left. 

Christ  is  to  me  the  emblem  of  purity,  childlike  simplicity  and  immeasurable  tolerance — 
to  compare  others  to  Him  much  less  to  give  them  precedence  is  blasphemy;  a darkness  of 
the  soul  which  one  ought  to  shrink  from.  Oh  God!  Give  me  power  to  walk  in  the  path 
of  the  Lord. 

I have  recently  gone  through  an  article  by  a Muslim  in  which  he  represents  Akbar 
as  liking  anything  but  Islam  and  he  attributes  it  to  the  mental  debt  which  he  owed  to  his 
constant  associates;  himself  being  unable  to  decide. 

Yours,  M.  H.” 

Mohammed  is  not  even  mentioned  in  this  letter ! 

8.  The  Moslems  of  India  are  a backward  class  and  therefore 
should  appeal  to  our  sympathy  and  help  in  a special  way.  They  are 
“a  great  way  off”  and  therefore  should  move  us  to  compassion. 
Their  Hindu  neighbors  are  challenging  them  to  a new  educational 
program  and  to  social  reform.  Mr.  C.  V.  P.  Shivam  addressed  an 
open  letter  on  this  subject  to  the  “Indian  Social  Reformer”  (June 
28th,  1924),  wherein  he  said: 

“When  it  is  borne  in  mind  that,  whereas  enthusiasm  for  social  reform  has  found  enough 
scope  for  work  in  Hinduism,  Islam  has  all  these  years  been  eating  its  head  off,  the  statement 

19 


recently  issued  by  Moulana  Shaukat  Ali,  President  of  the  Khalifat  Committee,  cannot  but 
evoke  the  keen  interest  of  all  Social  Reformers.  Just  as  we  cannot  expect  much  progress 
in  political  reform,  without  simultaneous  progress  in  social  reform,  so  too  we  cannot  expect 
real  unity  between  the  Hindus  and  the  Muslims  without  simultaneous  advance  in  social  reform 
among  both  these  sister  communities.  The  Hindus  hare  yet  got  much  superstition  to  be 
cast  off,  in  spite  of  the  progress  they  have  so  far  made.  But  the  conditions  obtaining  among 
our  Muslim  brethren  of  the  present  day  are  still  worse. 

"The  suggestion  made  by  Maulana  Shaukat  Ali  that  every  mosque  must  establish  and 
conduct  a school  to  teach  the  Muslim  boys  and  girls,  is  quite  in  keeping  with  the  famous 
exhortation  of  the  Prophet  of  the  Faithful  to  ‘seek  knowledge,  even  if  it  is  found  in  China.’ 
It  is  really  a monumental  shame  to  the  Muslims  of  India  that  they  have  so  long  allowed 
themselves  to  be  indifferent  towards  this  vital  necessity  of  all  those  who  are  proud  of  calling 
themselves  the  followers  of  the  Faithful  Prophet.  The  enormity  of  this  crime  is  so  great 
that  even  today  the  Muslims  are  styled  a backward  community  in  the  matter  of  education.” 

Moslems  themselves  are  conscious  of  this  condition  but  a com- 
munity does  not  easily  change  its  habits  nor  overcome  the  handicap 
of  centuries.  Fifteen  Mohammedan  members  of  the  Council  of 
State  and  the  Legislative  Assembly  recently  presented  these  facts 
and  figures : Of  189  Indians  in  the  Civil  Service  only  25  are  Mos- 
lems; of  159  in  the  Judicial  Service  only  25;  of  73  in  the  Medical 
Service  only  6;  of  75  in  the  Police  Service  only  24;  from  a total 
of  1,676  in  all  the  superior  government  positions  only  215  were  Mos- 
lems. (The  Statesman,  Calcutta,  June  21,  1924.) 

Not  only  is  the  Moslem  community  backward  because  it  is  tardy 
in  education  and  is  so  largely  illiterate.  It  is  conscious  of  a deeper 
need.  The  ethical  standards  of  Arabia  in  the  seventh  century  no 
longer  satisfy.  Voices  in  the  press  and  on  the  platform  advocate  the 
abolition  of  the  veil,  purdah,  polygamy  and  child-marriage.  The 
chapter  on  home  life  in  “Essays  Indian  and  Islamic”  by  S.  Khuda 
Baksh,  an  educated  Moslem  of  Bankipore,  reads  like  a missionary 
appeal. 

There  is  no  class  of  India’s  vast  population  that  is  more  in  need 
of  the  whole  Gospel  for  body,  soul  and  spirit  than  its  68  millions 
of  Mohammedans. 

The  Cross  of  Christ  is  the  missing  link  in  their  creed ; it  is  our 
glory.  The  life  of  Christ  alone  can  elevate  their  moral  concep- 
tions; dare  we  withhold  that  life  from  them?  The  power  of  Christ 
alone  is  able  to  set  them  free  with  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God ; 
shall  we  not  proclaim  to  them  this  freedom?  Their  political  hopes 
and  pan-Islamic  program  were  ruined  by  the  abrogation  of  the  Cali- 
phate. The  soil  of  their  hearts  has  been  broken  up  by  the  plough- 
share of  God.  Now  is  the  time  for  sowing;  tomorrow  the  white 
harvest. 

“Love  Thy  Neighbor  as  Thyself.”  “This,”  says  an  Indian  Moslem 
in  a recent  book,  “is  the  most  comprehensive  rule  of  conduct  which 


20 


has  ever  been  laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  mankind.  To  my  mind 
there  is  no  better  proof  of  the  identity  of  spirit  of  Christianity  and 
Islam  than  the  confirmation  of  Christ’s  command  by  Mohammed 
himself.  No  one  will  be  a faithful  Moslem  until  he  loves  his  neigh- 
bor ‘as  he  loves  himself.’  For  this  reason  I believe  that  there  is  no 
difference  between  the  two  religions,  if  the  metaphysical  doctrines 
engrafted  on  both  be  eliminated.  True  Islam  is  but  true  Christianity 
writ  short.  Both  recognize  that  the  source  of  virtue  is  love. 

For  love  is  Heaven  and  Heaven  is  love.” 

But  there  is  a difference  between  Islam  and  Christianity  and  it 
can  best  be  expressed  in  terms  of  love — of  love  that  will  not  let  go 
— the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  our  Lord. 

Samuel  M.  Zwemer. 

S.  S.  President  Adams, 

Sept.  4,  1924. 


THE  CONFERENCES 

List  of  Conferences 


Date 

Place 

Sessions 

Estimated 

Attendance 

April  12-16 

Bagdad 

4 

26 

“ 18 

Bus  rah 

1 

10 

“ 24-May  9 

Bahrein 

2 

11 

May  30-June  8 

Landour-Mussoorie 

6 

300 

June  11-16 

Naini-Tal 

4 

120 

June  21  and  30 

Calcutta 

3 

210 

June  26-29 

Bogra 

6 

20 

July  3-8 

Bombay 

2 

110 

July  10 

Poona 

I 

75 

July  12-15 

Hyderabad 

2 

40 

July  16 

Bezwada 

1 

17 

July  18-20 

Madras 

3 

140 

July  21 

Vaniyambadi 

1 

12 

July  23-26 

Vellore 

3 

120 

“ 28 

Bangalore 

1 

60 

Aug.  5-7 

Colombo 

2 

70 

1,341 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  National  Christian  Council  of  India  and 
in  accordance  with  a carefully  arranged  program  by  the  Secretary, 
the  Rev.  Win.  Paton,  thirteen  conferences  were  held  during  our  visit. 
In  preparation  for  these  gatherings  of  missionaries  and  Indian 
Christians  the  following  syllabus  was  printed  and  circulated : 

1.  What  is  the  Moslem  population  of  India?  of  this  province?  of  your  dis- 
trict? Their  distribution,  classes,  etc.?  Are  they  making  converts  among  out- 
castes? 

2.  Are  the  Mohammedans  neglected  in  the  work  of  evangelization?  Edu- 
cation? Social  Service?  If  so,  what  are  the  reasons?  The  remedies?  How 
many  missionaries  are  specially  devoted  to  this  work?  Specially  qualified 
for.  it? 

3.  What  are  the  present  day  conditions  and  movements  among  the  Mo- 
hammedans? Their  social  condition?  Educational  status?  Newspapers  and 


22 


literature?  Educational  Institutions?  Dervish  Orders.  In  Egypt  over  one- 
half  of  the  population  are  members  of  these  mystic  orders — is  this  true  of 
India?  What  are  the  principal  orders  and  their  ritual?  What  contact  is 
there  with  Egypt,  Persia  or  Turkey?  The  Moslem  press  and  languages  used 
by  it?  The  influence  of  Hinduism  or  Animism  on  Islam  in  daily  life? 

4.  Methods  of  work  for  Moslems.  What  special  difficulties  are  there  in 
approaching  them?  Are  they  as  accessible  as  others?  Is  special  training 
needed?  In  what  should  it  consist?  Special  literature.  In  how  far  can 
Arabian  literature  be  of  value?  Mohammedan  objections  and  difficulties. 
Methods  in  other  fields. 

5.  The  Near  East  Conferences  and  their  findings. 

6.  The  Moslem  population  and  the  Indian  Church.  Its  responsibility  for 
leadership.  Need  of  Indian  Christians  for  other  lands,  e.  g.,  China.  Mobilizing 
our  spiritual  forces.  Faith — Patience — Prayer. 

This  syllabus  was  the  basis  for  discussion  and  the  conclusions  ar- 
rived at  were  in  most  cases  put  into  the  form  of  resolutions.  These 
are  given  below. 


Landour-Mussoorie 

This  conference  desires  first  of  all  to  express  its  profound  gratitude  to 
Almighty  God  for  the  coming  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Zwemer  to  Landour,  which 
has  made  possible  this  conference  on  Missionary  Work  Among  Moslems. 

We  recognize  it  to  be  a lamentable  fact  that  in  the  past  there  has  been 
woeful  neglect  among  practically  all  Missions  and  churches  in  India  in  efforts 
on  behalf  of  Moslems;  but  we  see  new  light  ahead  of  us.  In  view  of  the  fact 
of  the  present  political  and  religious  conditions  of  Islam,  it  is  our  firm  con- 
viction that  the  Moslems  of  India  are  accessible  and  we  should  consider  this 
an  urgent  call  to  give  them  the  Gospel. 

Our  attitude  toward  them  at  this  time  should  be  characterized  by  a spirit 
of  love  and  sympathy,  such  as  our  Lord  used  so  tactfully  when  dealing  with 
inquirers. 

Resolved, 

1.  That  we  hear  the  call  of  China  and  Afghanistan,  and  the  local  calls  of 
our  neighbor  Moslems,  and  pray  the  Lord  of  the  Harvest  to  supply  these 
needs ; 

2.  That  we  urge  missionaries  to  undertake  some  suitable  form  of  special 
preparation  to  meet  this  urgent  need; 

3.  That  we  specially  encourage  young  missionaries  of  suitable  qualifica- 
tions to  prepare  themselves  for  work  among  Moslems;  and  that  we  use  well- 
equipped  Moslem  converts  for  this  work,  and  provide  for  their  fullest  equip- 
ment ; 

4.  That  we  utilize  in  every  possible  way  the  press,  and  all  forms  of  attrac- 
tive literature ; which  is  a powerful  force  in  winning  Moslems  to  Christ ; 

5.  That  above  all  else,  we  recognize  fully  and  depend  wholly  upon  the 

23 


power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this  service  of  love,  and  earnestly  seek  His  help 
and  His  guidance  in  all  our  efforts  to  bring  the  Moslems  of  India  to  know 
and  love  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 


Committee 


Dr.  H.  D.  Griswold 
Rev.  A.  G.  McGaw 
Rev.  Robt.  W.  Cummings 
Rev.  Howard  W.  Cover 


Naini-Tal 

Resolved : 

1.  That  this  Conference  having  listened  to  a most  valuable  series  of  lec- 
tures on  Mohammedans  and  devotional  addresses  by  Dr.  Zwemer,  expresses  its 
sense  of  the  privilege  it  has  enjoyed  and  renders  to  him  its  heart-felt  thanks; 

2.  In  the  opinion  of  this  Conference  it  is  a matter  of  deep  regret  that 
in  the  United  Provinces  very  little  is  being  done  to  win  to  Christ  the  large 
Mohammedan  population ; 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  effective  approach  is  not  possible  without  special 
study,  it  is  recommended  that  Home  Boards  be  urged  to  set  aside  men  and 
women  specially  for  this  work,  and  that,  where  this  is  not  possible,  some  of 
those  engaged  in  educational  work  should  give  special  attention  to  Moham- 
medan subjects,  so  that  educated  Mohammedans  may  be  more  effectively 
reached  through  Mission  schools  and  colleges,  and  missionaries  may  be  pre- 
pared for  work  among  Mohammedans  in  a wider  field. 

3.  With  a view  to  the  better  equipment  of  those  who  are  not  able  to 
give  all  their  time  to  such  work,  it  is  advisable  that  lectures  or  institutes  on 
Mohammedan  subjects  be  arranged  for  at  conferences  such  as  this,  and  in 
connection  with  Language  Schools ; 

4.  Provision  should  be  made  for  full  course  of  instruction  in  such  sub- 

jects in  all  theological  seminaries  and  training  classes  for  Mission  work- 
ers, so  as  to  enable  Indian  evangelists  to  approach  Mohammedans  wisely  and 
sympathetically ; « 

5.  Recommended  that  the  C.  L.  S.  and  other  publishing  houses  be  asked 
to  stock  publications  of  the  Nile  Mission  Press  and  the  Beirut  Press; 

6.  Resolved,  that  the  above  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  the  Rev.  W. 
Paton,  Secretary  of  the  National  Christian  Council  of  Missions,  with  the  re- 
quest that  he  give  them  the  widest  publicity  possible  and  bring  them  before 
all  bodies  which  might  with  advantage  consider  them. 

Arthur  Crosthwaite, 

Convener  of  the  Findings  Com. 
mittee, 

F.  M.  Perrill 

H.  J.  Sheets 

R.  Clancy 

Mrs.  W.  G.  Menzies 

S.  Jacobs 


24 


Calcutta 


Resolved : 

1.  That  the  Calcutta  Missionary  Conference  expresses  its  deep  gratitude 
to  Dr.  Zwemer  for  his  visit  to  this  city  and  for  his  efforts  to  arouse  greater 
interest  in  work  among  Moslems,  a cause  to  which  he  has  himself  rendered 
such  excellent  service ; 

2.  That  this  Conference  regrets  that  not  more  work  is  being  done  for 
the  winning  of  the  Moslems  in  this  city  for  Christ ; 

3.  That  in  view  of  the  fact  that  effective  approach  is  not  possible  without 
a special  study  of  Islam  and  the  Arabic  language,  it  is  recommended  that 
Home  Boards  be  urged  to  set  aside  men  and  women  especially  for  this  work, 
and  that  where  this  is  not  possible  some  of  those  engaged  in  educational  work 
should  give  special  attention  to  Mohammedan  subjects  so  that  educated  Mos- 
lems may  be  more  adequately  reached  through  Mission  schools  and  colleges ; 

4.  That  with  a view  to  the  better  equipment  of  those  who  are  not  able 
to  give  all  their  time  to  such  work,  it  is  advisable  that  lectures  or  institutes  on 
Mohammedan  subjects  be  arranged  for  in  Calcutta,  or  at  Hill  Conferences 
and  in  connection  with  Language  Schools; 

5.  That  further  provision  should  be  made  for  course  of  instruction  in 
Islamic  subjects  in  all  theological  seminaries  and  training  classes  for  Indian 
Christian  workers ; 

6.  That  the  Moslem  Work  Committee  of  the  Bengal  and  Assam  Christian 
Council  be  asked  to  take  all  possible  steps  to  further  the  policy  outlined  in 
the  above  resolutions,  and  especially  to  give  attention  both  to  the  provision  of 
more  Christian  literature  for  Moslems  and  also  to  the  study  of  the  literature 
produced  by  Moslem  publishing  agencies  in  Calcutta  and  Bengal. 

Bogra 

The  delegates  assembled  in  this  Conference  express  sincere  appreciation  of 
the  valuable  and  intensely  practical  series  of  discourses  given  by  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Zwemer. 

1.  Notwithstanding  the  limited  number  of  workers  in  N.  E.  Bengal  it 
is  fully  recognized  that  work  among  Moslems  has  been  conducted  assidu- 
ously, and  therefore  definite  results  have  been  obtained.  The  future  is  full 
of  promise.  These  results  have  been  largely  due  to  a knowledge  of  the  Moslem 
mind,  and  a sympathetic  approach  to  it,  coupled  with  a liberal  and  dis- 
criminate use  of  specially  prepared  literature; 

2.  Recognizing  that  this  work  demands  a special  training,  and  that  with- 
out this  we  cannot  hope  for  the  best  results,  the  Conference  asks  that  Mission 
Home  Boards  and  Field  Committees  definitely  accept  the  policy  of  setting 
apart  workers,  Indian  and  European,  and  training  them  for  this  service.  The 
revival  of  Arabic  studies  and  the  marked  increase  in  the  output  of  the  Moslem 
press,  make  it  advisable  that  workers  among  Moslems,  especially  Indian 
workers,  should  acquire  at  least  an  elementary  knowledge  of  Arabic; 

3.  The  Conference  urges  that  pastors  endeavor  to  cultivate  in  their 
congregations  a keen  sense  of  brotherhood  and  unity  in  ine  church,  regardless 


25 


of  the  previous  racial,  social  or  religious  distinctions  of  converts,  and  also  im- 
press on  them  the  necessity  of  offering  inquirers  a hospitable  reception ; 

4.  The  Conference  urges  the  need  of  strong  reinforcements  in  view 
of  the  following  facts : 

(a)  Bengal  is  one  of  the  three  most  densely  populated  Moslem  areas 
in  the  world; 

(b)  The  total  number  of  Moslems  in  Bengal  equals  the  combined 
populations  of  Arabia,  Persia  and  Egypt; 

(c)  The  Moslems  of  Bengal  are  more  accessible  and  responsible  than 
those  of  the  aforementioned  countries; 

(d)  The  encouraging  results  of  the  past  demand  far  greater  efforts 
and  larger  forces  on  this  field ; 

(e)  The  rapidly  changing  conditions  of  the  Mohammedan  world  and 
the  steadily  increasing  demand  for  the  education  of  both  sexes,  constitute  both 
an  opportunity  and  a challenge  to  the  Christian  Church. 

5.  As  education  is  spreading  rapidly,  not  only  in  towns  but  in  villages 
and  zenanas,  there  is  urgent  need  for  simple  books  in  the  Mussulman-Bengali 
dialect.  The  ready  reception  accorded  to  those  already  published  proves 
conclusively  that  there  is  a demand  for  this  class  of  literature. 

In  conclusion  we  submit  these  findings  to  the  appropriate  committees  of 
the  Christian  Council  of  Bengal  and  Assam. 


Committee 

on 

Fuidings 


Rev.  Howard  W.  Cover 
Miss  Hilda  McLean 
Rev.  Harold  W.  Masters 
Rev.  D.  K.  Badshah 
Rev.  Allen  J.  Grace 


Bombay 

The  joint  meeting  of  the  Bombay  Missionary  Conference  and  the  Bombay 
Indian  Christian  Association  held  July  8,  1924,  express  their  deep  gratitude  to 
Dr.  S.  M.  Zwemer  for  his  stirring  addresses  on  the  Moslem  problem.  After 
hearing  the  findings  of  the  Jerusalem  Conference  on  India  they  considered  the 
syllabus  of  questions  prepared  for  discussion.  It  became  manifest  that  in  the 
Bombay  Presidency  hardly  any  work  is  being  done  that  is  specially  directed 
towards  the  Moslem  population — a population  which  including  Sindh  numbers 
3,820,153  out  of  a total  of  19,378,219.  The  discussion  also  brought  to  light 
the  very  considerable  literature  and  newspaper  propaganda  of  the  Moslems 
in  India.  Also  it  was  indicated  that  there  is  in  process  at  present  a moving 
of  the  deeps  of  the  Islamic  world,  and  a feeling  after  something  more  spirit- 
ually satisfying. 

Nearly  all  the  members  of  the  Bombay  Missionary  Conference  are  working 
through  the  medium  of  Marathi,  the  Gujerati  or  English  language.  This  ac- 
counts for  their  coming  into  touch  with  few  Moslems,  for  the  Moslems  do 
not  use  t<he  first  two  languages,  and  are  very  backward — educationally  they 
do  not  in  any  considerable  numbers  come  to  the  educational  institutions 
where  English  is  the  medium  of  instruction — though  Wilson  College  usually 
has  two  or  three  Moslem  students  each  year.  The  work  therefore  in  which 

26 


the  members  of  the  Bombay  Missionary  Conference  are  engaged  leads  to  the 
absorption  of  their  energies  along  lines  where  the  Moslem  problem  does  not 
come  much  into  view.  It  therefore  came  as  a shock  to  realize  that  the  evi- 
dence seems  to  show  clearly  that  Moslem  India,  with  its  69,000,000  souls,  is 
very  largely  an  unoccupied  field,  and  that  special  efforts  that  used  to  be  made 
to  win  the  Moslems  have  in  many  cases  now  ceased. 

This  joint  meeting  of  members  of  the  Bombay  Missionary  Conference  and 
the  Bombay  Indian  Christian  Association  is  of  the  opinion : 

1.  That  the  “finding  on  India”  of  the  Jerusalem  Conference  is  fully 
justified,  so  far  as  the  Bombay  Province  is  concerned  ; 

2.  That  the  members  of  the  Bombay  Missionary  Conference  arc 
deeply  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  Moslem  problem ; 

3.  That  steps  should  be  taken  to  see  whether  provision  could  not  be 
made  for  the  appointment  of  a missionary  in  Bombay  city  who  would  devote 
his  whole  time  to  work  among  the  Moslems. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Edwards 
Rev.  J.  Kellock 
Miss  E.  R.  Bissell 
Rev.  J.  Behari  Lal 


Poona 

The  Poona  Missionary  Conference  heard  with  great  interest  Dr.  Zwemer’s 
statement  of  the  Moslem  situation.  They  realize  the  seriousness  of  the  situ- 
ation and  especially  in  view  of  first-hand  information  given  them  by  Dr. 
Zwemer  about  Poona  as  an  aggressive  center  for  the  spread  of  Moslem  teach- 
ing with  a view  to  proselytizing  Indian  Christians  as  well  as  Hindus,  would 
heartily  welcome  additional  qualified  men  and  women  for  work  among  Mo- 
hammedans. 

M.  MacMichael,  Secretary 


Hyderabad 

In  making  a study  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the  various  missions  in 
Hyderabad  State,  it  is  very  evident  that  the  existing  opportunities  for  work 
among  Mohammedans  are  much  neglected.  The  chief  causes  contributing  to 
this  neglect  are: — (1)  the  ease  with  which  vast  numbers  of  other  communities 
are  persuaded  to  accept  Christianity;  (2)  the  missionaries’  lack  of  knowledge 
of  Mohammedanism,  and  their  inability  to  speak  Urdu,  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  majority  of  the  missionaries  are  working  in  Telegu  and  other  non-Moham- 
medan  languages.  According  to  the  testimony  of  those  now  working  among 
them,  the  Mohammedans  are  more  accessible  and  responsive  today  than  ever 
before. 

1.  The  facts  reveal  that  there  is  a great  deal  of  aggressive  mission 
work  done  by  Mohammedans  in  the  form  of  distribution  of  Moslem  litera- 
ture and  therefore,  we  recognize  the  need  and  suggest  the  appointment  of  a 
Committee,  nominated  from  the  Missionary  Conference,  to  study  and  report 

27 


on  these  publications  and  also  suggest  copies  of  Christian  literature  especially 
suitable  for  distribution  among  Mohammedans ; 

2.  As  there  are  32,000  English  literates  in  Hyderabad  State,  the 
majority  of  whom  are  Moslems,  we  emphasize  the  scope  for  Missionary  work 
in  English  among  Mohammedans  and  strongly  recommend  that  all  the  present 
missionaries  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity  in  every  way  possible; 

3.  This  conference  is  of  unanimous  opinion  that  there  is  an  urgent 
need  for  special  trained  men  and  women  for  Moslem  work.  Their  training 
should  include  a thorough  knowledge  of  Mohammedanism  and  Urdu  and  a 
working  knowledge  of  Arabic.  In  view  of  the  great  need  for  the  training 
for  work  with  Mohammedans  we  recommend : 

(a)  That  we  issue  an  urgent  invitation  to  Dr.  Zwemer  to  make  an- 
other visit  to  India  and  plan  to  spend  a month  if  possible  in  Hyderabad; 
in  organizing  and  training  Missionaries  and  leaders  for  Moslem  work; 

(b)  That  a committee  be  appointed  by  the  Missionary  Conference 
to  make  plans  for  a training  school  in  work  with  Moslems  to  be  held  in  De- 
cember or  January  providing  we  can  secure  through  the  National  Council 
the  services  of  some  expert  missionary  to  Mohammedans  from  Northern 
India ; 

(c)  That  each  mission  be  urged  to  investigate  the  possibility  of 
sending  a suitable  Indian  evangelist  to  Cairo  for  advanced  studies  of  Mo- 
hammedanism with  the  idea  that  they  shall  return  and  give  their  time  ex- 
clusively to  work  among  Mohammedans ; 

(d)  That  a copy  of  these  findings  with  an  urgent  appeal  be  sent  to 
the  Boards  at  home  of  the  various  Missions,  emphasizing  the  great  need  of 
specially  trained  missionaries  for  work  among  Mohammedans  and  urging 
them  to  take  steps  to  meet  this  need  at  the  earliest  possible  date; 

4.  Realizing  the  need  of  a Christian  book  shop,  it  is  suggested  that 
the  Missionary  Conference  take  steps  to  provide  for  the  same. 

. Bangalore 

The  committee  are  unanimous  in  the  opinion  that  in  spite  of  the  good 
work  being  done  among  Moslems  in  Mysore  and  Bangalore  by  the  various 
Mission  agencies,  there  still  exists  a very  widespread  need  for  more  aggres- 
sive Christian  propaganda.  There  are  whole  villages  of  no  mean  size,  both 
in  the  Mysore  State  and  in  the  contiguous  Madras  Presidency,  composed  en- 
tirely of  Mohammedans  where  no  mission  work  is  carried  on  among  them. 

In  view  of  the  great  need — which  is  after  all  but  briefly  hinted  at  in  the 
facts  above  stated — the  Committee  would  urge  the  following : 

1.  That  the  Madras  Representative  Council  be  approached  with  the 
request  to  secure  the  services  of  a missionary  or  missionaries  possessing  the 
necessary  qualifications  and  experience  in  work  among  Moslems  (gained  either 
in  India  or  elsewhere)  who  would  be  able  to  launch  and  organize  more  definite 
work  among  Mohammedans  both  in  the  Madras  Presidency  and  in  the  Mysore 
State ; 


28 


2.  That  the  Madras  Representative  Council  draw  up  a scheme  ap- 
pealing to  the  various  Missionary  bodies  at  work  in  the  Madras  Presidency 
and  the  Mysore  State  to  set  apart  a certain  number  of  both  men  and  women 
to  be  specially  trained  for  work  among  Moslems ; 

3.  That  the  Bangalore  Missionary  Conference  be  requested  to  ap- 
proach the  different  Missionary  Societies  in  the  Mysore  State  with  a view  to  co- 
operation in  the  support  of  an  evangelist  or  colporteur  who  should  give  his 
whole  time  to  work  among  Moslems  only ; 

4.  In  regard  to  the  question  and  need  of  literature  the  committee 

is  of  the  opinion  that  there  is  abundant  room  for  the  development  of  this 
line  of  work,  and  a sub-committee  has  been  requested  to  take  up  this  matter 
in  fuller  detail.  Miss  M.  S.  Sell,  Convener. 


Vellore 

This  Conference  desires  to  place  on  record  its  high  sense  of  obligation  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Zwemer  of  Cairo,  for  the  inspiring  and  valuable  services  rendered 
by  him  to  Christians  in  general  and  Christian  Missions  in  particular  of  this 
part  of  the  Presidency  by  his  very  learned  and  instructive  lectures  on  “Mo- 
hammedanism” and  “Work  Among  Moslems.”  In  deep  appreciation  of  their 
valuable  services  the  Conference  desires  to  convey  its  grateful  thanks  to  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Zwemer.  It  is  hoped  that  the  impulse  which  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Zwemer 
have  now  given  to  the  work  among  Mohammedans  may  be  followed  up  by 
future  visits. 

In  considering  the  work  carried  on  by  the  Mission  of  this  area  it  is  the 
conviction  of  this  Committee  that  work  for  Mohammedans  has  not  been 
sufficiently  emphasized. 

Among  the  reasons  that  account  for  this  the  following  may  be  mentioned : 

1.  Successful  work  among  Mohammedans  necessitates  a working  knowl- 
edge of  Urdu  and  some  knowledge  of  Arabic  together  with  a full  knowledge 
of  Mohammedanism  and  Mohammedan  literature,  qualifications  possessed  by 
very  few  missionaries. 

2.  The  larger  results  that  have  come  from  work  among  Hindus  and  the 
pressure  of  the  task  of  caring  for  the  large  Christian  community  that  has 
grown  up  out  of  these  efforts. 

3.  The  difficulty  of  work  for  Mohammedans  and  the  feeling  that  Moham- 
medans will  not  respond  to  Christian  efforts. 

4.  The  fact  that  Mohammedans  are  widely  scattered  and  are  thus  more 
difficult  to  reach. 

But  after  carefully  studying  the  Mohammedan  problem  under  the  inspiring 
leadership  of  Dr.  Zwemer  this  Committee  feels  that  in  view  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  Mohammedans  in  our  area  who  have  been  greatly  neglected,  and  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  they  are  accessible  to  those  who  will  approach  them  with 
loving  sympathy  and  a knowledge  of  their  language  and  literature,  the  Mis- 
sions in  this  area  should  greatly  increase  their  efforts  to  reach  the  Moham- 
medan Community. 

Realizing  the  need  for  special  preparation  for  work  among  Mohammedans, 
we  would  request  that  the  Missions  in  the  Madras  Presidency  ask  the  Madras 


29 


Representative  Christian  Council  to  urge  that  missionaries  both  Indian  and 
foreign  be  set  aside  especially  for  Mohammedan  work  and  be  given  an  ade- 
quate training  in  Urdu,  Arabic  and  Islamics.  The  Mohammedan  mind  is  so 
totally  different  from  that  of  the  Hindu  and  a thorough  knowledge  of  it  in- 
volves so  great  a range  of  studies  that  this  consideration  alone  would  call 
for  special  preparation.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  the  proper  language  of  the 
Mohammedans  in  the  Madras  Presidency  is  Urdu  and  that  even  where  Tamil 
and  Telugu  are  used  by  them  there  are  so  many  Mohammedan  technical  terms 
used  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  understand  them,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
setting  apart  of  special  men  for  this  work  is  imperative,  if  the  work  is  to  be 
taken  up  intelligently  and  vigorously. 

In  order  to  the  preparation  of  workers  both  Indian  and  foreign  now  in  the 
field  to  give  part  of  their  time  to  Mohammedan  mission  work  we  strongly 
recommend  to  the  Madras  Representative  Christian  Council  the  possibility  of 
arranging  special  Conferences,  lasting  a week  or  so,  under  the  leadership  of 
experts  in  work  for  Mohammedans. 

We  would  also  suggest  the  possibility  of  sending  men  for  practical  training 
to  North  India,  where  work  is  now  being  carried  on  for  Mohammedans. 

With  reference  to  Moslem  literature,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Mohammedans 
are  doing  considerable  aggressive  work  in  the  publication  of  Moslem  books 
and  pamphlets  using  Tamil  and  Telugu  characters ; 

Resolved  that  the  Madras  Representative  Christian  Council  and  Andhra 
Christian  Council  be  each  requested  to  appoint  a Committee  (a)  to  make  a 
collection  and  study  of  these  publications  and  report  whether  or  not  they 
can  be  utilized  in  work  for  Moslems,  and 

(b)  to  report  what  Christian  literature  in  English,  Tamil,  Telugu  and 
Arabic  is  available,  and 

(c)  to  suggest  Urdu  or  other  books  or  pamphlets  for  translation  and  pub- 
lication in  English,  Tamil  and  Telugu,  and 

(d)  to  make  a study  of  Tamil  and  Telugu  Moslem  books  in  order 
to  determine  the  extent  of  the  difference  between  ordinary  Tamil  (or  Telugu) 
and  that  used  by  Tamil  (or  Telugu)  speaking  Moslems,  and  to  draw  up  a small 
dictionary  of  special  Moslem  words  to  facilitate  the  study  of  this  literature, 
and 

(e)  to  suggest  to  the  missions  the  advisability  of  each  having  a special 
library  of  books  prepared  to  help  those  who  are  devoting  themselves  to  Mo- 
hammedan work. 

Louis  L.  Scudder,  Chairman. 


Colombo 

This  conference  of  Christian  workers  called  together  by  the  Christian 
Council  in  Ceylon  and  meeting  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Colombo,  on  the  6th  and 
7th  of  August,  1924,  for  consultation  with  Dr.  Zwemer  records  its  regret  that 
no  organized  missions  exist  for  the  Mohammedans  in  Ceylon.  The  approach 
to  them  has  been  (1)  through  women  workers  who  labor  specially  but  not 
solely  among  them  as  evangelists,  (2)  through  medical  missions  for  women 
in  outstations,  (3)  through  open  air  meetings  attended  freely  by  Moham- 

30 


medans,  (4)  through  colporteurs  and  (5)  through  schools,  elementary  and 
secondary. 

1.  It  recommends  the  Christian  Council  in  Ceylon  to  direct  its  Propaganda 
Committee  to  consider  the  possibility  of  procuring  qualified  workers  who  shall 
devote  all  their  time  to  Moslems,  whether  through  one  Society  or  by  coopera- 
tive methods.  Such  persons  to  be  specially  trained.  If  even  one  were  procured 
on  a cooperative  basis,  he  might  be  a helper  to  all  others  concerned  in  such 
work. 

It  is  clear  from  these  several  findings  that  the  missionaries  with 
whom  we  met  in  conference  and  who  are  most  interested  in  the  prob- 
lem of  Moslem  Evangelization  have  put  their  approval  to  the  resolu- 
tion passed  at  Jerusalem  in  the  General  Conference  held  the  first 
week  in  April  of  1924.  This  finding  on  India  does  not  overstate  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation  and  is  a challenge  to  all  the  churches.  It 
reads : 

“It  is  astonishing  that  Moslem  India  also  is  in  a very  real  sense  an  un- 
occupied field.  Little  special  work  for  Moslems  is  carried  on  although  there 
are  69,000,000  of  them.  There  are  large  cities  like  Bombay,  Lucknow,  Delhi 
and  Lahore,  where  formerly  there  was  special  effort  to  win  Moslems,  but 
where  now  there  are  no  missionaries  wholly  devoted  to  this  task. 

While  there  are  more  than  5,000  missionaries  in  India,  the  number  of  these 
who  are  specially  prepared  and  set  apart  for  the  evangelization  of  Moslems  is 
pitifully  small.  Only  a few  centers  like  Dacca,  Rawalpindi,  Peshawar,  and 
Quetta  can  be  said  to  have  missionaries  devoting  their  whole  time  to  Moslem 
work. 

Though  on  the  other  hand  it  may  be  said  that  there  are  many  places 
where  missionaries  are  giving  part  of  their  time  to  Moslems  yet  even  when 
one  considers  all  this,  it  is  still  clear  that  there  is  such  a serious  lack  of  atten- 
tion being  given  to  the  Moslem  problem  in  proportion  to  its  importance  that 
its  adequate  consideration  by  all  missions  in  India  is  urgently  required.” 


31 


1 


